Komatsu rejects the Ferrari B-team label for Haas

Ayao Komatsu has rejected the idea that Haas has become a “Ferrari B-team”. His remarks follow Thursday’s announcement that 21-year-old Brazilian driver Rafael Camara will join Haas in 2027 on a multi-year contract.

Camara is expected to partner Oliver Bearman, another product of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Confirmation that the Briton will stay with Haas for a third season is expected soon. Both drivers remain connected to Ferrari and aspire to race for the Italian team in the future. Their pairing is part of a broader working relationship: Ferrari also supplies Haas with power units and other significant parts.

Asked whether Camara’s arrival could affect perceptions of Haas’s identity, Komatsu defended the arrangement. “Our collaboration with Ferrari gives us access to their Academy drivers,” he said. He recalled that Haas had the opportunity to test Bearman in Mexico in 2024, and later Rafa in Portimao, thanks to that relationship. But, he said, Ferrari had never asked Haas to give one of its young drivers a race seat: “We choose the drivers entirely ourselves, together with Mr Gene Haas.” Komatsu was emphatic: “They are Haas F1 team drivers, and we are under no obligation or pressure to take anyone from Ferrari.” The “Ferrari B-team” label, he said, “is just not even a starter”.

Komatsu says he is not worried that Bearman and Camara might compete too fiercely to impress Ferrari and create difficulties for Haas. He said a driver’s first challenge is to beat his team-mate, while focusing on what he can control: getting the best out of himself and the team. “Both of them are incredibly quick,” he added.

The Haas boss also pointed to the situation at Ferrari: Charles Leclerc signed a multi-year contract extension with the team earlier this year, while it remains unclear how much longer Lewis Hamilton will continue in Formula 1. If Ferrari needs a new driver, Bearman and Camara could be obvious contenders. Their performances at Haas could therefore shape their prospects in Formula 1.